Apparatus for actuating the followers of wood-pulping engines and for other purposes



I (No Model.)

W. JONES.

APPARATUS FOR AOTUATING THE FOLLOW ERS OP WOOD PULPING ENGINES, AND FOROTHER PURPOSES.

VN0.Z44,461. Patented July 19,1881

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6.6.144/wb5v11/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER JONES, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING THE FOLLOWERS 0F WOOD-PUL PlNG ENGINES AND FOROTHER PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,461, dated July 19,1881,

Application filed December 23, 1880. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J ONES, of Niagara Falls, Niagara county, NewYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus forActuating the Followers of Wood- Pulping Engines and for Other Purposes,which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification.

In Wood-pulping engines it is customary to pressthe blocks of woodagainst the grinders by means of followers connected with screwthreadedrods, which are engaged by nuts or feed -wheels supported and turning infixed bear-in gs. These followers are advanced slowly to force the woodagainst the grinders, and then run back in order to feed up a newsupply.

This invention relates more particularly to apparatus for conveyingpower to actuate said followers, or to operate similar devices (inpresses and other machines) which are moved powerfully in one direction,and afterward in the reverse direction with less power; but the same ora portion thereof can be employed generally to convey motion to a shaft,wheel,

or other device, whether rotating or moving always in one direction oralternately in opposite directions.

The invention has for its object to provide a compact and efficientapparatus by which motion can be transmitted regularly orintermittently, and the driven wheel, shaft, or device can be at willdisconnected from, and operated independently of, the ordinary or maindriving mechanism.

It consists in a pulley or gear composed of two parts, one within theother, and combined with a clutch, whereby said parts can be connectedso as to revolve together, or disconnected so as to revolveindependently of each other; also, in the combination of a driven wheelor device and a driving-wheel or device with a clutch for locking saidwheels or devices together and means for unlocking them automatically atdetermined intervals in their revolution and, also, in the particularconstruc tion and combination of parts in the improved apparatus, ashereinafter more fully set forth.

The following description will enable those skilled in the art to whichthis invention relates to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, andin which-- Figure 1 is a plan of a two-part pulley or gear made inaccordance with the invention; Fig. 2, an elevation, partly in section,of the same, in connection with the means for unlocking the two partsautomatically at determined intervals in their revolution; Fig. 3, asection on line A B, Fig. 1, the pin for depressing and the lever forraising the lockingpin being removed; Fig. 4, a side view of thelocking-pin enlarged; and Fig. 5, an elevation of the locking-pin, itsoperating-lever, and support, on the scale of Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the improved apparatus applied to the follower of awood-pulping engine.

F is the outer part or rim, and G the central part or inner wheel, ofthe two-part pulley or gear. The periphery of the rim F is formed toreceive an endless belt or band, or is toothed to serve as a gear. 0nthe periphery of the inner wheel, G, is a circular projection, g, whichfitswithin a cap-groove in the inner periphery of the rim F, the annularcap It being fastened by screws, as shown, or by other suitable means,and in this circular projection g are a series of notches, H. Alocking-pin, D, is carried by the rim F, and is supported in openthispin is of such form and dimension that it can be engaged with thenotches, or can be disengaged therefrom, according to its position. Aplain boltwith a rectangular enlargement on one side to fit in thenotches as shown in the drawings, is preferably employed.

Upon the cap R is fixed,at one end, a spring, K, which bears at its freeend upon the pinD and tends to hold it depressed or in position forengaging the notches H. The lower end of the pin rests upon a lever, I,pivoted at t to a support, 0, itself fastened to the rim F.

Upon acircular frame, L, supported on crossbeams N O, or by any suitablemeans, is socured a piece of track, T, in the path of the lower end oflever I.

As represented, the part G constitutes the driven wheel or device,receiving its motion from the rim or part F through the clutch formed bythe locking-pin D and connected parts, and carried by the rim F. Themotion the apparatus could readily be constructed to work from left toright or indifferently in either direction. Power being conveyed to thepart F by any suitable means, the inner part or driven wheel beinglocked by the pin D, which is held in engagement with one of the notchesH, is carried with it until the end of lever l strikes the track T, andis thereby raised,forcing the pin out of the notch and unlocking theinner wheel, which remains disconnected so long as the end of lever I iskept elevated by the track T. As soon as the track is passed the leveris released, and the pin D is forced by the spring K into the nextsucceeding notch, thus again locking the parts. This operation isrepeated at each revolution. By the use of two or more pieces of trackit can be repeated as often as desired in each revolution, and byincreasing or diminishing the length of the track the amount of lostmotion can be controlled. The track can be made removable, so thatpieces of diflerent length can be readily substituted for each other.

A simple device in the form of a button can be employed to hold thelever up and the pin out of the notch when it is desired to disconnectthe inner wheel and allow it to be operated independent of the others.

E is a shaft or rod, to which motion is communicated from the innerwheel, G.

In Fig. 6, E is the follower-rod of a woodpulping engine, the followerbeing connected with it in any suitable way. It is screw-threaded, andengages with a corresponding screwthread in the hub of the wheel or partG, and is held from turning by the customary means.

The outer part or rim, F, is formed on its periphery as a-worm-gear,with which the endless screw m on the shaft M engages. Power iscommunicated to the latter by a belt on pulley m.

A belt-pulley, G, is attached to or made in one piece with the innerwheel, G, which is supported in stationary bearings.

Upon a short vertical shaft is fixed a pulley, S, which is connectedwith the pulley G by an endless belt. The vertical shaft can, by meansof a suitable clutch mechanism, S, and gears, as shown, be connected atwill with the shaft M, so as to be revolved therewith in either(lirection, or it can be disconnected therefrom.

The shaft M being set in motion the rim F is revolved by means of thescrew m, and so long as the inner wheel, G, is locked therewith by thepin D it revolves and forces down the follower-rod. When, however, thelever and pin are lifted by the track T the wheel G stops until theparts are again locked. The movement of the follower-rod is thusrendered intermittent. The pressure communicated by means of theworm-gear and screws to the foll(1)wer-rod is obviously great and themotion s ow.

Whenever it is desired to give a more rapid movement to the rod, as inrunning up in order to introduce a fresh supply of wood under thefollower, the inner wheel, G, is unlocked, and the short vertical shaft,being connected with the shaft M so as to revolve in the properdirection, is, by the belt on the pulleys S and G, revolved independentof the rim F, which continues its movement in the same direction.

It is obvious that the rod could be run in either direction independentof the rim F by imparting proper rotation to the pulley G and wheel G.

In some cases, instead of the locking-pin described, a friction-clutchcould be used, and this could be adapted to transmit a certain amount ofstrain, and no more.

The rod or shaft E, instead of being screwthreaded and working in acorresponding thread in the hub of the inner wheel, G, could have thelatter keyed or otherwise fastened thereon and be journaled in bearings;or any suitable means could be used for conveying power from the inneror driven wheel. In the case of a press a shaft which turns in fixedbearings, and to which the wheel is keyed, screw-threaded at its lowerend, where it engages in a screw-threaded opening in the follower ortoggle-block of the press, would ordinarily be used.

It is obvious that modifications may be made in the mechanical detailsof the apparatus. In some cases it may be desired to have the innerwheel convey power to the rim instead of vice versa, as described, andin that case the locking pin or clutch should be carried by the innerwheel.

The combination of a driven wheel or device and a driving-wheel ordevice with a clutch and mechanism for automatically releasing saidclutch at determined intervals is covered broadly by the second part ofthis invention, whether the wheels be the one within the other or sideby side.

Having now fully described the said invention and the manner of carryingthe same into effect, what claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. A gear or pulley composed of an outer part or rim and a central orinner part within said rim, and a clutch for locking the two together,substantially as described.

2. The combination of a driven wheel or device and a driving-wheel ordevice with a clutch for locking said wheels or devices, and means,substantially as described, for releasing said clutch automatically atdetermined intervals in their rotation.

3. The combination of the inner wheel, with notches on its periphery,with the outer rim and locking-pin carried by said rim, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of the inner wheel, the outer rim, locking-pin,spring, and lever, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a gear or pulley composed of two parts, one withinthe other, a spring-clutch, a lever for releasing said clutch, and atrack or projection in the path of said lever for operating the same,substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a gear or pulley In testimony whereof I havesigned this 10 composed of an outer rim, an inner wheel, andspecification in the presence of two subscrib clutch forlockin g them,of apower-shaft geared in g witnesses. with said rim a belt-pulleyfastened to said inner wheel, and mechanism, as indicated, for WALTERJONES driving the belt-pulley and inner wheel from Witnesses:

said shaft when the aforesaid clutch is released, JAMES DAVY, J r., iindependent of the outer rim, substantially as GEO. A. SAVAGE.described.

